One of our special couples, Deke and Su signed up with our agency last Fall, and after being presented many times to birth moms they finally received a special surprise – a “Stork Drop” of a beautiful newborn baby boy – right on Memorial Day Weekend! Deke shares their story:

Our sweet boy at 3 days old

Our story started again late August of 2012 with shopping for school supplies. Su and I had previously talked about adoption and the conversation had really concluded in it wasn’t time yet for a number of reasons. Then while shopping with our daughter for 1st grade school supplies she restarted the conversation. Water bottles are a big deal at her school and Su was letting her pick out whatever water bottle she wanted. Our daughter was taking a long time to pick out the water bottle and finally she inquired into the cost of the different bottles and showed a lot of concern on which was the more expensive. After a couple of questions from Su it came down to our daughter wanting to try to save some money on the purchase of the water bottle to help in adopting a brother. She commented on how every other kid in her small class at school had a sibling and she wanted one too for a number of reasons.

For Su and I think this grabbed our attention and we started to have the adoption conversation again. The conversation progressed into a home study and contacting our friends Dawn & Jason Wright who serve as adoption consultants with Christian Adoption Consultants. It was great to have people who had been through adoption and we had trust in. We registered with about 5 agencies and continued to pray and seek God’s guidance through the entire process. We were viewing profiles and asking to be presented by the end of September 2012. It was hard sometimes to read about multiple opportunities and to try and discern which situation was the best for us.

We presented from September through April of 2013 over 23 times and seemed like many more. There were some presentations that were really exciting and a couple of times we thought we were pretty close to being matched, those were probably the toughest when the birthmother either decided to parent or just dropped off the map. As the spring of 2013 approached we felt more and more pressure because of our positions in camp and retreat ministry. The summer is a really crazy time for us and through conversation Su & I both decided that adopting during the summer probably wouldn’t be a situation that we felt would be optimal. The number of opportunities started to decrease as spring approached, May arrived and our staff reported for summer training. We sighed and felt like our opportunity to present was past. On Memorial Day 2013 about 10am an opportunity for a “stork drop” came through the email. Su and I talked about it and decided that this would be the one last time we would present before summer camp really started.

I was teaching a lifeguarding class at the time and about 1pm our daughter came into my class to let me know that she was going to be a big sister. We were MATCHED and it was a little boy. We had sought pre-approval for a loan from the bank and had some in our savings account so it all started to happen. The bank was closed on Memorial Day so first thing Tuesday morning Su, our daughter and one of our summer staff prepared to pick-up our new son. Su and I finished signing paperwork at the bank and they were off. After about 6 hours of driving they arrived and checked into the hotel. Su wasn’t able to go meet our new son until Wednesday. This particular situation was a closed adoption so when she arrived at the previously scheduled time at the hospital Wednesday morning she had to wait in the car for a little bit as the attorney finished working with the birth mother.

Wednesday afternoon Su was able to take our new son back to the hotel. The baby, our daughter, Su and the nanny spent the next few days getting to know one another and waiting for paperwork to process.

Su snuggling with our newborn son, and big sister adoring him

“It was so good through the weekend to bond with our little guy and to thank God numerous times for all the blessings he was pouring out on us.”

“Our daughter has grown to have a deep sisterly love for her brother and tries at every opportunity to snuggle him and help in any way she can.”

I was able to finish up teaching my lifeguarding class and went out to meet the rest of the family on Friday. It was so good through the weekend to bond with our little guy and to thank God numerous times for all the blessings he was pouring out on us.

Sunday came all too quickly and I had to return to start the first week of summer camp for the summer. Our daughter, the nanny and I left late Sunday morning and came back to Iowa. Su and the baby had to stay until paperwork cleared in the birth state and in Iowa. It was hard to leave them waiting and I think it was hard for Su to see us leave and return to camp without her. We were praying that things would be processed quickly and she could return. Our prayers were answered and Monday afternoon things cleared the birth state and she was cleared to enter Iowa. Su got back late Monday evening and the family was fully together and HOME.

In the weeks that followed our daughter has grown to have a deep sisterly love for her brother and tries at every opportunity to snuggle him and help in any way she can. Su and I have continually been blessed by this happy little bundle of joy and have found the groove of having an infant in the house.

Our little guy at 3 months

Our precious new son is for the most part a really easy going very happy little guy. He loves to smile and work the people around him for attention. His hair frequently draws comments as his sister loves to spike it up. At just past 4.5 months he loves to eat, is enjoying sweet potatoes and chews on everything. The journey was long and at times very frustrating, but we know that God placed with us our special son and brother. His adoption was finalized September 19th.

Deke and Su’s story is an example that there may be many times an adoptive couple may ‘present’ to birth moms, and just like their story the timing was crazy, but it is a testimony to God’s faithfulness and his perfect timing as He brings families together through the miracle of adoption!